South Africa’s Ramaphosa tells Vladimir Putin to end war in Ukraine as African delegation arrives in Moscow to plead for peace

Mr Ramaphosa met his Russian counterpart in St Petersburg on Saturday as part of a delegation of seven African leaders.

He was flanked by leaders from South Africa, Egypt, Senegal, the Republic of Congo, Comoros, Zambia and Uganda as he addressed the Russian president, who presented the ten-point plan of the African peacekeeping mission.

The seven African nations represented called on both sides to return their prisoners of war and end the conflict through diplomatic means.

“War cannot go on forever. All wars must be settled and ended at some stage,” Mr Ramaphosa said.

“And we are here to communicate a very clear message that we would like this war to end.”

Mr Ramaphosa highlighted the impact of the war on African countries, which have been adversely affected by many of the blocked exports to both Russia and Ukraine.

Global food insecurity caused by the war in Ukraine – one of the world’s largest grain exporters – has been felt keenly in African countries.

Putin used the peace talks to blame Western sanctions and actions for the grain crisis, saying only 3% of grain exports covered by a UN-sponsored deal have gone to the world’s poorest countries.

During opening remarks, President Putin paused to hit out at their proposals, claiming that Ukraine and the West had started the conflict before the Russian invasion of the country in February 2022.

The Russian leader also rejected Africa’s request to return children removed from Ukrainian families to their homeland, claiming they were being removed for their own protection.

“Children are sacred. We took them away from the conflict zone, saving their lives and health,” he said.

President Putin’s claims contradict those of the UN, which says it has evidence of hundreds of Ukrainian children being illegally transported to Russia.

He also laid the blame for the lack of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine at the feet of Kiev, saying they had so far refused to come to the table for a formal negotiation.

President Putin praised African countries’ “balanced approach” to the conflict in Ukraine during the talks.

“We welcome the balanced approach of African friends to the Ukraine crisis,” Putin told the continent’s peacekeeping delegation.

“We are open to constructive dialogue with all those who want peace based on the principles of respect for each other’s interests, as well as justice.”

The African delegation is made up of a mix of views on the war in Ukraine.

Zambia and the Comoros have leaned toward the West, while Egypt, Senegal, and the Republic of Congo have been mostly neutral in the war.

South Africa is usually seen as pro-Russia.

The African delegation began its peacekeeping mission in Kyiv, where it held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several other senior officials.

President Zelenskiy urged African leaders to demand the release of political prisoners, as well as a number of other measures.